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Clover Vest, Friend and Kooa
The Clover Vest, the Friend and the Kooa are Japanese folding cameras taking 4×6.5cm exposures on 127 film, dating from the second half of the 1930s. Common description The three models have nearly the same body and were probably made by the same company. This is pointed out in Yazawa, pp.3–5 of no.260. They are copies of the Pearlette by Konishiroku, itself copied from the Piccolette by Contessa-Nettel. All these cameras are inspired by the Vest Pocket Kodak. The front standard is mounted on a pair of scissor struts and extends towards the bottom to act as a standing leg. It seems that the shutter release slides to the right of the front standard. There is a brilliant finder at the top of the front plate, on the photographer's left, and a wireframe finder. The wireframe retracts behind the front plate and the eyepiece, shaped as a trident, retracts under the red window cover. The winding knob or key is situated at the bottom left, as seen by the photographer holding the camera vertically. The back is fixed and the film is loaded through the side plate, on the advance side. The plate is locked by a knob with C'' and ''O positions (presumably for Close and Open). The red window cover plate is circular as on the Pearlette, but it has a single aperture. The shutter is everset and gives T, B, 25, 50, 100 speeds, selected by a small wheel at the top. Shutter speeds reported in Yazawa, p.4 of no.260, and in , item 1067. The shutter plate is plain black, with the aperture scale at the bottom and no markings. The lens has f/6.3 aperture and is fixed-focus. The f/6.3 aperture is confirmed for the Friend and Kooa, and likely for the Clover Vest. The Clover Vest The Clover Vest was probably distributed by Hagi, owner of the Clover brand. It is mentioned in the official list of set prices compiled in October 1940 and published in January 1941, for ¥33. , type 2, section 3. The only surviving example observed so far is pictured in Yazawa. Yazawa, p.5 of no.260. It has an advance knob, certainly made of black plastic, and the presence of the wireframe finder is unconfirmed. The front standard is marked Clover in cursive style at the bottom and there is a clover-shaped logo at the top left (opposite the brilliant finder). The Friend The Friend (フレンド) was advertised in the March 1937 issue of Asahi Camera by Akabane Shashinki-ten (Tokyo). Advertisement reproduced in , p.91. The lens was mentioned as an Anastigmat f/6.3, with no further detail. The camera cost and the case cost ¥3.50. It is said that the camera was also distributed by the company Friend-sha (フレンド社) of Osaka. Yazawa, p.4 of no.260. The only surviving example observed so far is pictured in . , item 1067. It has an advance key and a wireframe finder. The lens is reported as a Friend Anastigmat f/6.3. The front standard is marked Friend at the bottom and there is an intricate logo at the top left, looking like the RK logo of the Pearlette. The Kooa In the official list of set prices compiled in October 1940 and published in January 1941, the Kooa is mentioned in two versions, called "Kooa I" (¥33) and "Kooa II" (¥45), with no further detail. , type 2, section 3. The price categories might indicate that the Kooa I and II are distinguished by the lens aperture, respectively f/6.3 and f/4.5, but this is unsure. The only surviving example observed so far is pictured in Yazawa. Yazawa, p.5 of no.260. It has an advance key and a wireframe finder. Its lens is a Friend Anastigmat f/6.3, the same as on the Friend. The front standard is marked Kooa in cursive style at the bottom and there is a logo at the top left (opposite the brilliant finder), with the word KOOA inside a rising sun. Notes Bibliography * Item 232. * Type 2, sections 3 and 6A. * P.44. * Item 1067. * Yazawa Seiichirō (矢沢征一郎). "Renzu no hanashi (170) Kōa" (レンズの話170コーア, Lens tales 170 Kooa). In no.260 (February 1999). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. Pp.3–5. Category: Japanese 4x6.5 viewfinder folding Category: 4x6.5 strut folding Category: C Friend Kooa Category: 1937